Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 December 1940 — Page 31

POLIS

'DuBarry Was a Lady’ Opens at English's

And Lahr Deals Us Ruapsedia Semen

By JAMES THRASHER

“* f1MES were better I should certainly have a fatted calf deliv-

Jered to Bert Lahr at English’s stage door in appreciation. of his return "to our midst. But as it is, a few words will have to do.

_ = Mr. Labr reappeared last night Lady” the season’s first musical of English’s

as the star of “DuBarry was a season .and one which

the customers wélcomed with delight. This is one of B. G. De Sylva’s

three “successful tune shows of current vintage. It has music by \. Cole Porter and a book by Herbert Fields and Mr, De Sylva. But Mr. Lahr... remains the principal ingredisnt. ~ Bert Lahr, in case .you've forgotten, is more than @& gag dispenser. His comedy témpts one to rhapsody. It is rowdy, but it also has the pathos df frustrated grandiloquence. Cruel circumstance smites him as the brick used to: smite’ Krazy Kat. But he . continues to’ aspire, with miisguided magnificence of language and terrific elegance of vocal style and gesture, He resists, too, with spluttering protest and fluttering bravado. And he endures it all, with that wonderfully pathed look of one:who has bitten ifito a solir pickle of cosmic proportions. In short, Bert Lahr possesses the: greatness of low comedy. It is the sort of comedy which is rare. and doubly welcome these days. For the radio ¢annot convey it, and thé screen €an meérely suggest it. It réquirés the confi-

dence ang co-opération of a pres=

ent audience. : 2 8 = THE AUTHORS have provided him ‘with some broad .and hilérious comedy material. Mr. Lahr is Louis, the attendant in a night club gentlemen’s room, who wins £75,000 in a sweepstake and, with

it, a lot of trouble. It is his lofty. -

aspirations to win the favor of May, the night ‘club singer. It leads him to slip a knockout pow--der into the drink of his hated rival. In hi§ eonfusion (and it’s Sesuta) contusion) hé takes the

drink himself, and dreams of be= ing Louis XV. May becomes DuBarry and the chasé continues. Even poor Louis’ dream is frustrated, and he awakes to renounce wealth, give ast. of his winnings t6 his rival and the rest to the fax collector. As musical comedy books go, this one—discoutiting its somewhat bawdy overtones—is . a8 moral as a McGuffey reader. However, the aqvertones are the best things in the show. 8 8.» : EXCEPT for the highly amus« ‘ing example of musieal corn ‘galled “Friendship,” the score is one ‘of Mr. Porter's most. undis= tinguished. But the gags.and sits uations ‘are amusing, considering the fact that they are built on such familiar things as swing and contemporary allusions in an 18th Century setting, and the risible implications generally attributed to the milieu of the washroom. Frances Williams, as DuBarry, can hold up her end of thé coms< edy, even with a master of Mr. Lahr's stature. She's a veteran who knows her comic valués and can put across & SOhg with high spirits and a compléte lack of in= hibition. Benny Baker; the meek and moon - faced vaudevillian, nounds out a trio of excellent fun-

‘makers.

Ruth Bond, an extremely vivacious and attractive young person, tirns in some good daficing, and

" sb dots ‘Sutihy Rice.

That about concludes the cheers and brings us back to Mr. Lahr, who remains the show's chief ree: Smendation,

_TODAY-—STAGE and SCREEN ON THE STAGE

Oné Fall Week “STRAIL OF VIGILANTES” :*LITTLE BIT ot REAVER"

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GLORIA JEAN

The UNDERge od SETTLE BIT o HEAVEN" will appear, Bc Ue stage ih

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The latest entertainment tripmiph from the create: of all thé great Deanna Durbin successesl

"+ GLORIA JEAN with * ROBERT STACK % Hugh Herbert x C. Aubrey Smith # Stuaft Erwin * Nan Gréy # Eugene Pallett * Billy Gilbert

and * Butch and Buddy : The Little Yornadont

SPICY NEW YORK TRAVELING :

Hr NATTA NEW YORK Ts |

The Indianapolis Gir} That ) Wade Good On Srvatvay)

SN = 34 Big Company of S ‘of Stars . . .

ELAINE INE LOVELIE FRAN LEWIS |

VERY SATURDAY NITE re BER HILV,

1in’s supposedly “unique” |urations, the poetic quali {typical 6f Schumann, dnd the So- |g of {

| The sonata is a minor composi-| tion, full of virtuosic padding and |i Yet it shows the

Now Come

po ie

example ih the Hhalf-program of

heard in the concert halls. Now come two Victor releases which are recommended to your attention: One is called “Wagnerian Characterizations,” and is done by Kerstin Therborg; the other is the explanatory seriés by Robert Lawrence on the “Ring of the Nibelungs” cycle. Mme: Thorborg gives us four excerpts from the musié drama of which no recent recordings, to my knowledge, are available. The selections are “Erda’s Warning,” from “The Rhiné Gold”; Fricka’s part of the duet with Wotan from “The Valkyries”; Waltraute’s Narrative from “The - Twilight of thé Gods,” and Brangaene’s Warning from “Tristan and Isolde.” Here is compelling singing, emotionally as well as vocally. Mme. Thorborg’s voice is of magnificent richness and power throughout its entire scale. Accompaniments are by the Victor Symphony Oichestra, conducted by Dr. Karl Riedel.

8 #» =

MR. LAWRENCE has told the stories of the “Ring” music drama, and has illustrated and identified their priricipal motives on the piano, I have only the “Rhine Gold” albuth, but if the others are ds good, they should greatly increasé the enjoyment of the Wagnerian neophyte. Mr. Lawrence's nafrative outline is only the briefést taste, of course. But it is cléar and interesting. - And he pldys the piano well, too. » ” uo Beethoven, Sympheriy No. 6 (Pastoral); Brurio Wiilter and the Vienna Phitharmonic Orchestra (Victor). This. is oné of Victor's Black Label less, expensive releases and, like most of the serles, is a repressing of an earliér recording. Its advantage to those of limited budget is obvious. A further advantagé is the happy union of Mr. Walter's suavé and lyrical style with music which has much of the same qualities. On the other hand, the recofding does less than full justice to the performance. ‘The purchaser may expect some thin and metal= lic-souncling strings, loss of some of the bass parts and pitch vafid= tions of sustained tones. | Bach, the Littlé Organ Book, Vol. 111; E. Power. Biggs, organist (Victor).

Mr. Biggs, kindly and appro-

chorale-preludes from the Christs més service, and two dealing with thé New Year. His playing ‘has the utmost’ in

makes for clarity, variety and éxpressiveéness; . his interpretation shung the notional; the instrument he plays is a perfect vehicle for Bach’s. music. As a conséquénceé the chorslépreludes stand forth for what they are: Superb ‘examples of craftsmansHhip through which shines & genius who made his skill the servant of his fervent and deeply religious nature, Cm Co” ’ Wébér, Sonata No, 2 in A Flat; Aled Cottot; pianist (Victor). ir)

IT IS safe to say that the casual

ven Weber's music: overtures, two opera arids, the “Invitation to the Dance.” Sd

{Victor's issuihg of this sonata i§|# {in thé naturé of a curiosity.

Thé work dlso has an unusual historical interest. For in it one may find foreshadowings of Mendelsshon’s elfin sprigHtliness, Chop-

norous, Liszt.

scintillating vacuity

tonal rhetoric. path of piano development for the Homantss period as surely as “Der eischuetz” hé Wagner operas. Mr: sympathetic inception and ‘brils pans reglizgtion —1J. T,

Hs. HONEYMOON

“The OM rey Adie ina

Inokie Moran i¢ conducting some very secrét rites in thie Mark Twainish moment from the Alamos currefit “The ou Swimmin’ Hole.”

RECORDINGS

Welcome Innovations in Wagner Music

THE MUSIC of Waghér, When removéd from the pera house, has a way of Stamping along wellstrodden has brought somé ¥veléomeé changes.

presented with the symphony orchestfa and soloist, and which offeréd us examples of the

priately enough, has recorded 10 |

technical polish; his registration

concert-goer will hear, in his life-| timé, six examples of Carl Maria | Three opera |Ag and |)

sidhio Ags | that 18 J

pointed the way to| 5 Sortot's performance is of |B

It's Chopin Mr. Hofmann, Noted Pianist Ready for “Symphony Appearance.

The first thing that Josef Hofmann did on arriving at the Murat for rehearsal yesterday, was to de termine definitely the concerto which he isto play with: Fabien Sevitzky and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestfd this afiérnoon and gtomortow night. : The famous pianist found himself ifi & moinentary predicament due to {1aék of a doubléschéck when he played with the Chicagh Symphiny |g - |Orchestia recently. Mr: Ho '|nad cohitractéd to give & perférmance of the Schumann A Minor ‘Concerto and two of the Concerto in E Flat by Beethoven. But SoMmenew the aifangement Slipped his mind. After playing the umaifi he spent Several Hours |the next day polishifig up s6me spots in that Work whith hadh't suited Rim.. Imagine his surpiise, then, upon arrivitig at the comneert hall the next day, to discover that it was the Beethoven, not the Schiimann, which was on the program.

“I Knew the Piece”

“But,” Mr. Hofmann added modestly; “1 kinéw thé piece.” That Was putting it mildly. Fei Mi. Hofmann knows thorotighly, of course, all the stindard wotks fof piano and orchestra, and has playéd thém @blintless times ih 4a pubiié career of more than 80 years. in donseqiiéfice, féhearsiig with hifi isn’t much of a task. Having satisfied himself that he was scheduled fdr the Chopin E Minor Concerto here, the soloist and the orchestra went through it with dispateh yestérday. Here ard théte Mr. Sevitzky and Mr. Hofmann would consult briefly about tempo,

Two Victor Releases With

pal ad

ths, But thé present season ére at hofiie we had: a recent Waghér which Fabieh Sevitzky Maftjorie Lawrence as “Rifig” operas seldom

Dance Students To Give Programs

‘Pupils. from the Carlile Darice Studios will provide the entertainment “at Christm#is pdrtiés to be

given by vatious civic and charitable organizations. Their appearances will indlude: A children’s party Sunday given by Bruée R. Robinson Post 133, American Legion, at Hollenbeck Hall in the Central Y. W.'C: A. The Bxchange Club’s anhfiual chil: dren’s party at the Severin Hotel: the P. R. Mallory party for 1000 children in Tomlinson Hall, and the Tabernacle Presbyterian - Church children’s party, all Dee. 20. The Kiwanis Club’s annusdl paity for children at the English Avenue Boys’ Club, Dec. 23.

FOOD TO SERVE AS THEATER TICKET

+ The Granada Theater, 1045 Virginia Ave. tomorrow mornifig will present ifs annual canned food show under: the auspices of the Hugh Cépsey Post of the American Légion. Er iasion to the theater will be an articlé of food of a can of fobd which later will be distributed by the Post to South Side needy. Doors of the Granada will open at 9:15 4. m. with the show starting promptly. dat 10." _ Mahader Earl Cunningham hag special entertainment planned. :

HAWKS QUITS AS HUGHES' DIRECTOR

HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 13 (U. P.).— Howard Hughes, millionaire oilman flier and movie producer; is withéut a director for his new picture because Howard Hawks, who as director wds tb .sharé in the .prefits, thought Mr. Hughes was spending too much. Mr. Hawks withdrew. from Mr, Hughes’ ventiire, his first flihg at]: motion pictures for several years; and the producer announced filming would Be réstimed later this weék df United Artists. The picture is based oh the life of Billy the Kid. ,

MADE IN DETROIT Scenes inside the #iuto plant in “Reaching for the Sun” were filméd

in the: big Packard factory 8 Detroit.

séat, .pbint. to. the score, €ohduet a little himself, or play a part of the orchestra part on the piano. Once he got in some practice of his own during dn orchestral passage. The lack of fuss and fury about the rehearsal reealled to Mr, Bevitzky that one of the orchestra’ Soloiéts Had requested a foutr-Hour rehearsal before tackling a public

about it. “Why doesn’t he do that at home?” the pidhist inquired,

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